Edible Greens for Bearded Dragons

*** Staple: use often and as a base green
** Occassional: use in small amounts with a staple and only add a few types of any occassional to staples
* Rarely use: this is not a good nutritional source for greens eating reptile, but can have advantages under certain conditions, such as re-hydrating a sick or dehydrated reptile or a fussy eater

SPECIAL NOTE: Warrigal Greens is a native green of Australia, found in abundance and a favorite of greens-loving reptiles. Greens we have available in the US and Europe that taste close to this Australia native plant is Mizuna, Mustard Greens, Rocket, and Radicchio.

SUBSTITUTES are listed as they have similiar tastes or properties and if you find one that your reptile likes, he will probably like the substitutes

** arugula = arrugola = rugola = rugula = rocket = rocket salad = Italian cress = roquette = rucola = Mediterranean rocket Pronunciation: uh-REW-guh-luh Equivalents: 1 cup = 1 ounce Notes: With its peppery and slightly bitter flavor, arugula is a terrific green to throw into an otherwise boring salad. Some supermarkets sell it in small bunches, but you're more likely to find it combined with other greens in a spring salad mix. Substitutes: watercress OR Belgian endive OR escarole OR young dandelion greens (more bitter) OR young mustard greens OR chicory OR radicchio

** beet greens Notes: Like their close relative, Swiss chard, beet greens have lots of flavor and a good, sturdy texture. The best ones are young and tender, and sometimes come with small beets attached. Substitutes: Swiss chard (a very close substitute) OR turnip greens

** Belgian endive = French endive = witloof = witloof chicory = chicory (in Britain) = Belgium chicory = blanching chicory = Dutch chicory = green-leaved blanching chicory = chicon Notes: These crunchy, slightly bitter leaves. Select heads with yellow tips; those with green tips are more bitter. Their peak season is the late fall and winter. Substitutes: radicchio (similar flavor) OR arugula OR watercress

* Bibb lettuce = limestone lettuce Notes: This butterhead lettuce has delicate, loose leaves and lots of flavor. The only downside is that it's usually expensive and not that nutritional, it is good to help re-hydrate a dehydrated reptile. Substitutes: Boston lettuce (larger) OR corn salad OR leaf lettuce OR celery leaves

* Boston lettuce Notes: This is a type of butterhead lettuce, with soft, tender leaves. Substitutes: Bibb lettuce (smaller, more flavorful, and more expensive) OR corn salad OR leaf lettuce OR iceberg lettuce OR celery leaves

* butterhead lettuce = butter lettuce Notes: This category includes Bibb lettuce and Boston lettuce.

*** collard greens = collards Notes: This is a favorite of greens eating reptiles and an excellent base staple. Substitutes: turnip greens OR mustard greens (spicier flavor) OR as an occaaional foods kale (crinkled leavesOR kohlrabi leaves OR bok choy (milder flavor)

** corn salad = mache = lamb's lettuce = lamb's tongue = field lettuce = field salad = fetticus Notes: Corn salad has tender leaves and a very mild flavor. Substitutes: butter lettuce OR Bibb lettuce

** cress Notes: This is a peppery green. There are several varieties, including watercress, upland cress, curly cress, and land cress. Cress is highly perishable, so try to use it as soon as possible after you buy it. Substitutes: arugula OR young dandelion greens OR Belgian endive OR purslane

** curly endive = chicory = chicory endive = curly chicory = frisée = frisee = frise Notes: This is a bitter green. The outer leaves are green and somewhat bitter; the pale inner leaves are more tender and mild. Don't confuse this with Belgian endive, which the British call chicory and the French call endive. Substitutes: escarole (milder flavor, different texture) OR radicchio OR dandelion greens OR mustard greens

*** dandelions = dandelion greens or dandelion flowers Notes: Dandelions have a somewhat bitter flavor, which Europeans appreciate more than Americans. They're available year-round, but they're best in the spring. Substitutes: watercress (not as bitter) OR curly endive OR escarole OR arugula OR collard greens

** endigia = red endive Notes: This crunchy new French variety blends sweet and bitter flavors. Substitutes: Belgian endive OR radicchio

** endive Notes: This category includes Belgian endive, curly endive, frisee, and escarole.

** escarole = Batavian endive = Batavia = scarole Notes: Escarole has sturdy leaves and a slightly bitter flavor. Substitutes: curly endive (stronger flavor, different flavor) OR radicchio OR borage OR mustard greens OR arugula OR spinach

** gai choy = kai choy = Chinese mustard cabbage = Chinese mustard greens = Indian mustard = leaf mustard strong pungent taste Substitutes: mustard greens (more pungent)

* green-leaf lettuce Substitutes: red-leaf lettuce (different color, but otherwise similar) OR bibb lettuce

* iceberg lettuce = head lettuce = cabbage lettuce = crisphead lettuce Notes: This is prized for its crispness and longevity in the refrigerator, but it's a bit short on flavor and nutrients. Substitutes: romaine lettuce (also crunchy, and more flavorful) OR leaf lettuce

* kale = borecole = cow cabbage = kail Pronunciation: KAYL Notes: Kale is a kind of cabbage with dark green, wrinkled leaves. Varieties include curly kale, dinosaur kale = black cabbage = lacinato kale, and the popular Red Russian kale = ragged jack kale. Substitutes: collard greens (smooth leaves) OR rapini OR Swiss chard OR mustard greens. Kale has some good properties like antioxidents, but it is also a goitergen and any reptile with liver or kidney problems should not have much of this

* leaf lettuce = looseleaf lettuce = bunching lettuce = cutting lettuce = salad-bowl lettuce = lechuga Notes: Crisp and mild flavor. Substitutes: butterhead lettuce OR Romaine lettuce

* lettuce Notes: These are mild salad greens that are not high in nutrition for reptiles. There are four basic categories: iceberg lettuce, with leaves that grow in a dense "head," leaf lettuce, with loosely gathered leaves, butterhead lettuce, with tender leaves that form a soft head, and romaine lettuce, with closely packed leaves in an elongated head. Select lettuce that has rich color and crisp, fresh-looking leaves. Substitutes: spring salad mix OR radicchio OR cress OR corn salad OR arugula

** lollo rosso Notes: This mild, tender lettuce has ruffled red edges, Substitutes: red-leaf lettuce

** mizuna = Japanese greens = spider mustard Notes: Mizuna has tender leaves and a pleasant, peppery flavor. Substitutes: young mustard greens (more pungent) OR arugula

*** mustard greens = curled mustard Notes: There are red and green varieties, and both have a peppery bite. Substitutes: gai choy (less pungent) OR escarole (less pungent) OR kale (less pungent) OR Swiss chard (less pungent)

* oakleaf lettuce = oak leaf lettuce Notes: Oakleaf lettuce has crunchy stems and tender leaves. There are red and green varieties. Substitutes: butter lettuce OR Romaine lettuce

** purslane = verdolaga Shopping hints: crunchy, mild tasting greens. Look for them in Hispanic markets. Substitutes: watercress (milder flavor)

** radicchio = red chicory = red-leafed chicory = red Italian chicory = chioggia Pronunciation: rah-DEEK-ee-oh Notes: With its beautiful coloring and slightly bitter flavor, radicchio is wonderful when combined with other salad greens. The most common variety, radicchio rosso (left), is round, while the treviso radicchio is elongated. Substitutes: Belgian endive OR escarole OR chicory OR red-leaf lettuce (for color)

* red-leaf lettuce Substitutes: green-leaf lettuce (different color, but similar) OR radicchio (for color)

** red orach this green is good for adding color to the salads

** red mustard Notes: This has a pungent, peppery flavor that adds zip to salads. Substitutes: mizuna OR arugula

* romaine lettuce = cos Notes: Romaine combines good flavor and crunch, plus it has a decent shelf life in the refrigerator. Green romaine is the most common variety, but you can sometimes find red romaine, which is more tender. Substitutes: iceberg lettuce OR Boston lettuce

** sorrel = rosella = sour grass = dock = sour dock Pronunciation: SORE-uhl Notes: This sour herb is quite popular in France. Substitutes: arugula

** spring salad mix = mesclun = field greens = spring mix Notes: This is a mix of different young salad greens. Commercial mixes usually include arugula, mizuna, tat soi, frisee, oakleaf, red chard, radicchio, mustard greens, and radicchio.

** Swiss chard = chard = spinach beet = leaf beet = seakale beet = silver beet = white beet = Red chard = rhubarb chard (do not confuse with rhubard) = ruby chard, with green leaves and red stalks, is slightly more tender and flavorful than white chard = green chard, with white stalks and green leaves. Substitutes: beet greens OR turnip greens OR bok choy OR escarole OR mustard greens

*** turnip greens = turnip tops = turnip salad = Hanover greens Notes: The leaves are pungent and slightly bitter, especially older ones. Substitutes: dandelion greens OR mustard greens OR kale (small amounts) OR collard greens OR Swiss chard (milder flavor)

* tango Notes: This mild green lettuce has ruffled edges, which makes it an interesting salad lettuce Substitutes: green-leaf lettuce

** taratezak Substitutes: watercress (leaves have smoother edges)

** tat soi = spoon cabbage Notes: This has an interesting spoon-like shape and a peppery flavor. Substitutes: mizuna

** trefoil Notes: Named for the three leaves that sprout from each stem, trefoil has a crunchy texture and aromatic flavor. Substitutes: sorrel

** winter purslane = Cuban spinach = miner's lettuce = claytonia Notes: This resembles ordinary purslane, only the leaves and stems are smaller and more delicate.

Special thanks to Lori Alden of "The Cook's Thesaurus" who gathered this information and photos. She was gracious in allowing us to adapt her work about greens to help bearded dragons and their owners. She has a great site full of nutrition information, check out her info on veggies too @ http://www.foodsubs.com/

Original articles can be seen here and here. Copyright Lori Alden, ©1996. Images copyright Lori Alden ©1996.

Reproduced and edited by Cheri Smith, with permission ©2005.